


The Haunting

by acacia59



Category: The Who
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-04
Updated: 2013-11-04
Packaged: 2017-12-31 11:42:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1031307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acacia59/pseuds/acacia59
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trapped in an old hotel as a fall storm descends, Keith does his best to liven up the holidays…or so the rest of the band assumes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Haunting

***  
  
The slam of a cabinet closing somewhere in the opulent hotel suite disturbed the two residents of the king-sized bed and caused an avalanche of pillows to cascade from the bed onto the thick shag carpet as Pete Townshend struggled out of the nest of blankets.  
  
“Did you hear that?” he asked, shrugging on a robe and peering around the edge of the door towards the sitting room.  
  
“Nevermind, get back here. I think that I have perked up enough for round two,” said a sleep-roughened voice from somewhere within the bed.  
  
“No, I really heard something…Keith and Roger are out…”  
  
John sighed and cursed the insatiable curiosity of his band- and bed-mate. “Come back to bed, Pete. It’s fifteen days until Halloween and Keith has the keys to all the suites. Frankly, I’m surprised that there aren’t more weird noises.”  
  
Pete frowned for a moment while he considered and then grinned lopsidedly at the other man and asked, “What was that I heard about round two?”  
  
They were interrupted yet again, this time by knocking of the definitely non-spectral nature. John groaned and Pete went to the door to allow admittance to an irate Roger who was clutching handfuls of women’s undergarments.  
  
“Okay, which of you berks stole  _all_  my clothes and replaced them with ladies’ unmentionables? And don’t go blaming Keith, ‘cause he swears up and down it wasn’t him.”  
  
“Well, gee, Roger,” John said with careful wide-eyed innocence. “Are you sure it wasn’t some ghoul or poltergeist with a sense of humor? Or maybe they are really yours?”  
  
“Haha, very funny. But I’d like to remind you,  _John_ , that only one of us is in bed with another man. And it ain’t me.” And he whirled around and stormed out in a huff.  
  
As soon as he left, Pete turned to look at John with a raised eyebrow. John threw up his hands. “What? Keith’s the only one allowed to pull pranks for Halloween?”  
  
Pete tossed his head back laughing and jumped on the bed to tackle the dark bassist.  
  
***  
  
“Did you see my notebook?” Pete picked up the telephone and peered underneath it for what must have been the fifth time. “I swear I set it down around here a second ago.”  
  
“Pete…” John tried to catch the lanky guitarist’s wrist but missed and ended up flailing in an attempt to keep his balance.  
  
Pete dove into John’s suitcase and started tossing out shirt after shirt in a steady stream over his shoulder. John winced as one landed in on the room service cart. “I had some good lyrics in there…I need to find it!”  
  
John swiftly walked over to the taller man and bodily drug him to his feet. “Pete,” he said seriously, cradling his face in his hands and looking deeply into those vivid blue eyes. “You know I love you right?”  
  
Pete’s expression softened and John felt him relax a little. He leaned forward and John met him in a soft and slow kiss. Their tongues tangled languorously and Pete tasted like coffee and smoke. His eyes fluttered shut and then he opened them coyly and whispered against John’s cheek, “I might have gotten that idea.”  
  
“Good. Because I really do.” He paused and stole another kiss, this one deep and intense. He broke away. “But Christ almighty, Pete, you are driving me batshit crazy.”   
  
***  
  
Keith put his beer bottle down on a side table with more force than necessary. The sudden noise made Pete jump and John look over from where he had been desultorily watching the television in their hotel suite. “This bores me,” Keith explained. “We have been cooped up in this same damn hotel for too long.”  
  
Pete laughed, grimly. “Yeah, well tell that to this freak fall snow storm. I am sure that it will nicely oblige your insatiable need for entertainment.”  
  
Without warning, the television flickered and died. As the three stared at the set in shock, a resounding crash echoed from the bedroom. Keith sprang up to investigate, followed more slowly and cautiously by the other two.  
  
The window in the bedroom had somehow been wrenched open and the wind-whipped snow was blowing furiously into the little room, scattering papers ahead of it. John stared at the small drift that had already formed below the window and noticed that the melting snowflakes were spreading a dark crimson stain on the pale carpet.   
  
He backed away, running a bejeweled hand through his hair. “Okay. Seriously now. Who is doing this?” His voice shook only slightly.  
  
“Well, it isn’t me,” Keith said with a shrug. “All I’ve been doing for Halloween is filling Roger’s suitcases with girly knickers.” He leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered with an eyebrow wag, “But the thing is…he already had them in there!” Keith broke out in uncontrollable laughter and left the other two to gaze at each other in unmitigated horror.  
  
“Umm…time to check out?” Pete inquired.  
  
“Right behind you!” John replied hurriedly. Keith watched with a look of complete bewilderment as his two bandmates nearly fell over each other in their haste to escape the confines of the hotel. A cold chill seemed to settle over him and he pulled his jacket tighter around him with a shiver.


End file.
